Ilex plant--Mesog variety

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Ilex which originated as a cross-pollination of Ilex rugosa and Ilex cornuta is provided. The new variety possesses attractive medium green foliage, produces an abundance of scarlet berries, and exhibits a compact and symmetrical growth habit and good tolerance to cold and heat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention relates to a new, distinctive and useful form of Ilexoriginated by me by crossing an unnamed and unpatented seedling knownbotanically as Ilex rugosa with an unnamed and unpatented seedling knownbotanically as Ilex cornuta.

The object of my breeding was to create a hardy, compact and versatileshrub which combined the hardiness of Ilex rugosa with the beautifulfoliage and attractive fruit of Ilex cornuta. This object wassuccessfully achieved, and the new variety exhibits a combination ofcharacteristics which distinguish it from all other forms of Ilex ofwhich I am aware.

The following combination of characteristics is exhibited by the newvariety:

(a) a well-branched, symmetrical, compact, medium-sized shrub having avigorous habit of growth which is well-adapted to a wide range oflandscape uses,

(b) a profusion of dull, scarlet fruit which is produced in spring andwhich attains its full scarlet coloration in mid to late fall, lastingon the bush into spring of the following year,

(c) the ability to be sheared and trimmed to be kept within prescribedlimits or shaped to a particular form,

(d) cold tolerance which is superior to the species Ilex cornuta as wellas most cultivars of that species, as evidenced by the fact that thepresent variety has survived with no visible damage temperatures of -15°F., whereas the species Ilex cornuta and most of its cultivars arelisted as hardy to 0° F.,

(e) good heat tolerance which is characteristic of Ilex cornuta andwhich is much improved over Ilex rugosa, and,

(f) green, semi-glossy to glossy foliage which is less quadrangular inshape as well as less glossy in appearance than Ilex cornuta.

In excess of sixty-five percent of two year old container grown plantsof the present variety measure approximately 12 to 15 inches in heightand breadth when grown at West Grove, Pa. A ten year old plant of thenew variety (i.e., the oldest available) has a height of slightly overfive feet. At maturity the plant is expected to reach a height in therange of approximately 5 to 7 feet.

Asexual reproduction of my new plant has been accomplished at St. James,N.Y., and at West Grove, Pa. Succeeding propagations have shown that theunique combination of characteristics is fully established andtransmitted to successive generations.

The new variety has been named the Mesog variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of my new variety ofIlex as depicted in color as true as is reasonably possible to make thesame in color photographs of this character. The specimens in thephotographs were grown in the ground at West Grove, Pa.

FIG. 1 shows typical leaves, berries, and unopened flower buds in thespring. The berries were formed during the previous year and have beenpartially lost from the plant as evidenced by the absence of theabundant berry clusters which earlier were present.

FIG. 2 shows a typical four year old plant of the present variety inmid-fall. Abundant berry clusters are visible. The actual color of theleaves is less blue and more green than depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of my new variety made in lateMay from four year old plants growing in the ground at West Grove, Pa.Color terminology is made in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart ofThe Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.

Parentage: Ilex rugosa seedling × Ilex cornuta seedling.

Foliage:

Type.--Evergreen. Leaves vary from oblong to elliptic, with the largerleaves tending to be oblong, the smaller leaves ovate. Apex acute, baseobtuse. Leaf margins spiny, with two to three pairs of prominent spinesand a single spine at the apex. The leaf tips are reflexed and twistedunlike the Ilex rugosa parent.

Size.--Mature leaves on main stem (measurements to tips of spines) --length from approximately 3.1 to 5.4 cm. with an average ofapproximately 4.6 cm.; width from approximately 2.1 to 3.1 cm., with anaverage of approximately 2.7 cm. Petiole length from approximately 0.4cm. to 1.0 cm.

Color.--Mature leaves, upper surface -- closest to but slightly yellowerthan Green Group 135A; under surface -- Green Group 143B. Leaves aresemi-glossy to glossy.

Fruit:

Color.--Dull to semi-glossy, Red Group 44B.

Size.--Fairly uniform and substantially round, from approximately 0.7 to0.9 cm.

Peduncle.--The fruit peduncle commonly ranges in length fromapproximately 0.6 to 1.1 cm., and commonly averages approximately 0.9cm. in length.

Stems:

Color.--Green Group 143B.

Flowers: Flowers are substantially identical to those of Ilex cornuta.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Ilex, substantially as hereinshown and described, characterized particularly as to novelty by theunique combination of:(a) a well-branched, symmetrical, compact,medium-sized shrub having a vigorous habit of growth which iswell-adapted to a wide range of landscape uses, (b) a profusion of dull,scarlet fruit which is produced in spring and which attains its fullscarlet coloration in mid to late fall, lasting on the bush into springof the following year, (c) the ability to be sheared and trimmed to bekept within prescribed limits or shaped to a particular form, (d) coldtolerance which is superior to the species Ilex cornuta as well as mostcultivars of that species, as evidenced by the fact that the presentvariety has survived with no visible damage temperatures of -15° F.,whereas the species Ilex cornuta and most of its cultivars are listed ashardy to 0° F., (e) good heat tolerance which is characteristic of Ilexcornuta and which is much improved over Ilex rugosa, and, (f) green,semi-glossy to glossy foliage which is less quadrangular in shape aswell as less glossy in appearance than Ilex cornuta.